Elemental
by ninja-alchemist47
Summary: the elric brothers meet a strange girl. and again and again. when her strange ability and past start coming out into the open. will they be able to help the broken girl, and can she help them find the stone? EDxOC


Hi it's me again I know aren't you excited okay here's the deal I'm currently working on 2 Naruto fic's and a host club fic but I have yet to write a fullmetal fic and I claim to be a diehard Edward fan it's just hard to get inspiration so yeah this is gonna be the slowest one and probably the lamest. So don't flame the player flame the game (yeah I know it's hard to get lamer than that),

Edward and Alphonse walked alongside the dusty road. "arg I hate this!" Ed exclaimed throwing his hands in the air "why can't we just go through a normal taxi ride?" he asked his younger brother "maybe if you didn't attack them every time they said you're short we'd be able to" Alphonse replied to his easy to over react older brother. Before Ed could reply he noticed a white pick-up truck speeding down the road toward them at a rate that couldn't be legal. As it sped past they noticed the two men in the back of the truck, it got about 300 yards past them and then the men in the back threw something out of the back, a body tied up and a bit beaten and bloody, a girl. It hit the ground and bounced once before skidding into the lake on the side of the road. " Ed oh my gosh we have to do something" Al said but before he even finished the sentence Ed was sprinting toward the lake kicking off his boots and losing his coat and jacket the second he reached where she had gone into the water he dove in after her.

Clara felt herself hit the water and relief flooded over her, safe, she thought. She really had to learn to bite her tongue she kept pissing off the wrong people. That or she had to stop trying not to severely hurt people when she fought. She would've been able to take them but she had accounted for a fight with 5 men not the 9 that they made up when the others came in too. She relaxed and let the cool water ease her throbbing cuts and bruises. Suddenly there was a splash as someone dove into the lake she panicked a bit. They wouldn't possibly come back to make sure she drowned would they? She felt a pair of strong arms close around her as she caught sight of some long blonde hair that floated into her peripheral vision. None of the blondes in the gang had had long hair all short. She snapped back to reality when they surfaced she could hear him repeat over and over "please don't be dead, please don't be dead".

"I'm not dead now can you let me go it's hard to tred water when someone's holding on to you" she said and apparently startled him cause he let go abruptly and apologized awkwardly she turned around and worked her way out of the ropes and she swam back to shore he fallowed. There were a couple of bags that had also been thrown out after her and Al had gathered them. Meeting the two sopping wet people at the edge of the water. She lay on the bank for a minute. "so who do I owe thanks to" she said pretending that he'd actually saved her she could've gotten out on her own but he'd feel stupid for jumping in after her fully clothed. He lay next to her breathing hard most likely from the adrenaline not the swim, she could tell he was in much too good a shape for that little sprint to bother him he was well toned and she let herself admire his features they weren't necessarily strong but they weren't soft either he was far from a pretty boy, even with his slightly past shoulder length braid of blonde hair. He was good looking no doubt. She noticed the auto mail and she was intrigued. Why would a boy his age have an auto mail? There she goes again making assumptions he wasn't any older than her much less a boy. He sat up and she looked at him he had been resting his eyes when she was looking but when they opened she was surprised. They were golden not golden brown she'd seen that before but bright yellow. And they struck her like lighting. He smiled extending a hand.

"Edward, Edward Elric" he said she took his hand and shook it looking up to the large man in the armor holding her things. Holding her hand out, he took it handing her, her things. "Alphonse Elric" he said in an uncharacteristically child like voice. She tried to hide her surprise but failed and he laughed. "and who are you?" asked the boy named Edward "and if you feel the need to explain why you were thrown out of a truck going 60 miles an hour well we'd be happy to listen" sarcasm was thick in his voice she sighed _I suppose if I ran 300 yards to save someone who was thrown out of the back of a pick-up truck I'd want to know what was going on too_.

"I'm Clara Zettek" at her name Ed blushed remembering Clara the phantom thief. Shrugging it off, he decided that this girl was very unlike the slutty nurse. "I mouthed off to some gangsters and got the shit beaten out of me" she said simply.

"Why were you mouthing off to a bunch of gangsters?" Al asked tilting his helmeted head to the side.

"they were pestering some poor women on her way home from I wouldn't have stepped in at all she was good at ignoring them but some drunk started pulling on her and everyone took that as some sick invitation" her rage at the behavior seeped out of her mouth as she spoke "I was only ready to fight the five guys who were bothering her but four others decided to join into the fight when I said something bad about a local gang apparently the gang I was bashing was them" she said "they probably figured me to be dead or soon to be didn't think I could swim I guess. Would you mind turning around for a minute I have to get out of these wet clothes" she raised a new pair of jeans and a t-shirt for emphasis they both blushed and apologized turning around. "Wait a minute" she said as they heard her unzip her pants. "Edward Elric interesting name Elric where from?" she asked after pulling the clean pants on and pulling the shirt over her head. "You can turn around now" and they did. As she sat down to tie her shoes.

"not sure" Ed replied watching her tie her shoes when he caught a glimpse of a injury on her ankle "what's that?" he asked pointing to her ankle she pulled up her pant leg to reveal a snake bite that looked awful swelling and red she winced when her fingers brushed it. "Just a snake bite" she said putting her pant leg back wincing again "I'd fix it with alchemy but I don't know enough about the human blood stream".

"Well we're alchemist's we can help we'd have to learn a bit more but I'm sure we could help" Al said Ed agreed for some reason he felt like he shouldn't part with her quite yet. "We're headed to the next town over we could probably help in a day or two" Ed said trying to convince her. "that's very nice but I'm fine I'll heal in a couple of day's" she said I am going to the same town though we could walk there together but after that I think we'd best part ways you to don't need to have anything to do with what I'm doing here" she said they exchanged glances but didn't ask they weren't exactly doing something they should be.

After arriving in the city they parted ways and Ed and Al found an inn to stay in during their stay.

"Al I'm hungry." Ed whined "let's go get food" Al rolled his eyes. "Yes Ed we're going now" he said letting his eyes roll over the street to see if there was anywhere to eat he spotted a nice café with an outside seating area when he saw Clara sipping on a cup of something it looked like it could be coffee but he couldn't be sure. "Hey it's Clara" Al said to his brother as Ed looked up he noticed some local high school kids walking over to her table. A boy snatched the book for her hand.

"Hey sweetie wat'chya reading?" he asked in something that was supposed to be a bad ass attitude "Medical alchemy for internal poisons, whoa we got us bookworm" he said with a laugh. "Hey you're kinda cute girly" he smirked and held her chin "why don't you ditch the book and come hang with me for a bit". Ed flinched, _not smart dude, not smart._

"no" she said "now let's act like grownups and give the book back I'd rather not suffer through another cliché keep away act, k?" she said he threw her back a bit or intended to she didn't let herself move an inch. And he tossed the book over her head to one of his pals she rolled her eyes "oh I so hoped we could have avoided this" as his friend tossed the book back she threw one of her bags into his face causing him to drop the book she walked over calmly picking up her book and bag walking back to the table she grabbed her coffee and set her money down calling over a waitress to make sure the kids didn't take it, not that they were any younger than her but their maturity was that of an 8 year old. As she walked away, the boy who'd dropped the book got up and hit her full on the back of her neck. She was disoriented for a moment _damn_ she thought _I really do keep pissing off the wrong people _apparently she wasn't just standing up to some punk kid out on school break with no idea what to do with his time. Juvenile delinquents didn't intimidate her, she was a former "delinquent" in the way that she didn't take shit from anyone but she didn't go looking for trouble, and she generally avoided it but condescension is condescension and she would not tolerate it. She gained her balance back, the blow wouldn't have fazed her on any other day but she was still recovering and weak from the beat down she'd gotten earlier today. She spun keeping her center of gravity where she knew it would be most useful and swung her arm open palmed straight into the guy's jaw she heard it pop and he let out a grunt, she hadn't used her fist but that wasn't a guarantee that she hadn't broken his jaw. He went down rather easily and she stood up right feeling a bit guilty for throwing so much of her weight into the assault, but no one would say it was unprovoked and she had a nice bruise to prove her side of the story. She rolled her neck and tried to shift her shoulder blades it kept throbbing and it felt as if he might have done a bit more than simply bruise her. She attempted to walk away again slightly stretching till she felt the pain course through her rib cage, _damn _the thugs she'd dealt with earlier must have done more damage than she thought she could tell a muscle or skin injury from a bone injury and this was not the former. As she collected her things she thought she was in the clear to get back to the ruddy inn she'd be staying in only because it was so banged up she could easily fix things to earn her keep.

She was leaving and the boy's who'd been watching the entire fit exhaled a held breath until they noticed one of the boys in the group pick up a chair and raise It above their head. They burst into a run (a/n of course they don't think to yell and warn her because popping out of now where to save the day is just so much cooler) too bad they weren't quite quick enough and the chair connected with her head and neck. She fell the last thing she remembered was hitting the ground _wrong people indeed. _

Ed ran to her immediately while Al was busy trying to get rid of the kids without yelling or getting violent, aka he was asking nicely. Ed scooped her up and felt the pulse in her neck with his middle and index finger. He sighed "she's fine" he said and looked at the gang who'd hit her "what were you thinking was it your goal to kill her a blow like that to the head would've done it, Al get rid of them" he said as al stepped up to them instantly attaining the towering affect and cracked his metal knuckles. They ran. Forgetting his stomach Ed picked her up and took her back to the inn they were staying at.

Clara's mind awoke before her body remembering the fight she tried to open her eyes butt they merely quivered and closed again, damn she relaxed and tried to wake herself up. Her eyes wouldn't open stubborn things so she used her other senses to tell her where she was. She couldn't hear much okay not in the street probably a closed room, she smelt the air picking up the identifiable odor of a hotel, she was warm and felt a blanket on top of her and from what she could tell her clothes were intact. She opened her eyes to a dark room she'd never been in before now fully awake she could hear voices faint and unidentifiable but there. She sat up rubbing her sleepy eyes and stood only to fall due to the throbbing pain in her ankle. _Ouch! Shit did that get more sensitive? _She thought trying to run her hand through her hair but ended up getting her finger caught in a bandage. _Great whoever found me decided to play doctor okay how much worse did they make it?_ She ran her hands along her ribcage checking the damage and it felt surprisingly better so did her head and neck the only thing the really hurt were some cuts and bruises and her ankle. She stood again this time making her way out of the room. She walked in on a conversation between the two boys she'd met earlier.

"Al I told you we aren't part of this areas military I don't have the power to get into that library legally!" Ed said clearly annoyed. Her eyebrows rose _library?_ "Besides if it has even the slightest chance of have information on the stone we need to find it!" he said. Apparently she wasn't supposed to hear this and she closed the door behind her loudly so they would think she just entered the room.

They both wiped around to look at her and that made her uncomfortable so she decided to ask them questions. "What am I doing here?" she said and they exchanged looks. "And why am I covered in bandages I couldn't have been bleeding that badly" she stated.

"We're alchemists not doctors we did what we thought would help" Ed said shrugging "we even cleaned out that ankle of yours" he said and she paled visibly.

"What did you use?" she asked and they exchanged glances.

"Just regular peroxide" al said a bit concerned by her actions.

"Shit!" she yelled dropping down on her ass immediately "toss me that marker on the table" she said and Ed threw it to her "damn I knew it was more sensitive today!" she drew a transmutation circle around the wound and she transmuted it, the pain was obvious she was expelling the peroxide form the bite. Sweat accumulated on her temple and she wiped it away.

"What are you doing?!" Ed screamed "you're hurting yourself" she looked at him.

"What am I doing I'm undoing damage that I pray isn't permanent, I told you it's a snake bite right you don't add chemicals that expel bacteria to poison!" she looked down making a pained whimper as the wound hissed and bubbled as if there was peroxide on it. They didn't know what to do they should've called winery she would've known not to add peroxide. Clara sighed when it stopped and stood with very little pain in her ankle. "okay we're good" she said and walked toward the door picking up her things she opened the door and looked back at the two boys "thank you for your help again if I didn't have more pressing matters to attend to I would find a way to repay you" she looked out the door.

"wait" Ed called after her "so that's it we help you and you just leave?" he sounded a little hurt "that's just not right you could at least tell us why we can't help you, explanations would be good" he said he wasn't angry he was frustrated I mean what the hell is with this chick?

She stopped one foot out the door and turned back to them "hope that we don't meet again. If we do I'll take the fates to heart and tell you why I'm here" she said and left. They both watched the door (a/n oh yeah I's gots the mysteriousness).

What. The. Hell.

(I'm skipping to the evening lets touch base with the boy's)

Ed sighed the encounter with Clara still reeling in his mind. "Ed I really don't feel good about this" Al said hesitantly "it doesn't seem ok" he finished.

"Al I told you it's the only way to get this information this town is not under the military's thumb now it's not a problem because they don't cause any problems and are self sufficient but they don't share any information that could be useful for the military so it's our only option, besides it's not like there are many alchemists in this town so they won't have any need for it any time soon. We'll bring it back before they know it's gone" Ed finished tightening his boots.

"Back before they know it's gone, Ed really? It never works that way" Al replied.

"Well it's gonna have to work this time" Ed said "ready to go?" he asked standing and al nodded.

The boys left the door locked and set out to the library to get the documents that were rumored to be about the stone they'd done so much to get to and still so far from what they need.

(Ok now touch up with Clara I'm going to try 1st person so yeah)

I buckled my boots and made sure they were as tight as they need to be. They were the noisiest shoes she had but her gym shoes were wet and squeaky it had recently rained so she'd have to ditch her boot outside the library. The documents at the library were essential. She put everything she could need into her messenger bag a 500 pack of linen fiber paper she smacked it against her hand _great very durable_ she thought. She stuffed some chalk in her bag in case she needed a detailed transmutation circle to get herself out of a bind. Slipping on all of her rings with basic elemental transmutation circles they could give her the deadly precision she might need if things go bad. It should be simple in out done but things go bad easily around her. She sat and took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for anything that may happen tonight she could be signing her own arrest warrant she could be seriously injured or worse she may have to kill she would not let anyone die by her hand again. She stood and clapped her hands banishing the depressing thoughts. She left her room checking twice that she had everything.

She stepped out onto the wet street and a gust of wind blew and she tugged her sweatshirt closer to her body the wind blew harder and she swore. She needed to buy some more weather appropriate. Taking a deep breath she broke out into a run toward the huge library in the center of the town she made sure to bounce when she ran bending her knees to make herself look just like those professional joggers do. When she saw people she made sure to look just like a weight conscience high schooler unaware of her surroundings. And the people who saw her didn't register anything more than that. She reached the library and drew a small transmutation circle on the lock after alchemizing it into a small metal ball the door opened with no problems. She stepped inside closing the door behind her and re-alchemized it back into the lock. She turned it was freakishly dark and reached into her bag pulling out a obscenely large blue glow stick she hated flash lights, they only have a beam of light and candles are too difficult she preferred glow sticks because they gave her enough light to light a room enough for her night vision to do the rest and they weren't bright enough to arouse outside suspicion. She looked around and spotted the room she needed to enter she knew it would be locked repeating her action with the front door she entered and silently crept through the aisles of books searching for the one she needed.

Now let's catch up with Ed and Al.

Ed led the way sneaking through the streets at an anxious pace Al fallowed trying desperately to keep quiet. They snuck around to the back of the library finding the wall they needed to get through to take them into the room they needed. Ed clapped his hands together and placing them flat palmed on the wall he tore it down the two stepped inside and he rebuilt the wall behind them.

Clara again

So she sorted through some manuscripts that had looked promising Clara thought she heard something writing it off to her imagination she put what she'd been reading back and continued searching for the manuscript she needed. Only one isle left and she spotted it she knew that was it because it was the only one that wasn't an ancient hand bound text or in a folder the leather casing was not old enough for it to be in the same category as the others. She was so distracted she didn't notice the other people approaching the manuscript that had her attention. Shit she spun around ok grab it and run or let go of this forever.

"We got it Al nothing to stop us now" a voice said _Al? Don't tell me_. She thought.

"Ok Ed but I'm still not ok with stealing it" another voice came. _Of course. _She ran snatching the manuscript out of his hand and turning the corner "hey!" she heard Ed yell well just cause the fates wanted her to do something doesn't mean she'll do it but of course enyo and deino were waiting with a line to trip her and she came tumbling down. Ed and Al caught up with her and saw her on the ground. "Clara" Ed said with disbelief.

"ok, ok you guys win you hear me enyo, deino, and pemphredo" she yelled and turned to the two boys "you were going to steal it are you retarded?" she said pulling the paper out of her bag she drew a transmutation circle and placed the manuscript next to the stack of paper.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked she didn't even turn to look at him.

"I'm using alchemy to transfer the written information on these pages to this paper" she said setting an ink well in the circle as well and she transmuted it they marveled as words formed on the paper. _Of course copy cat alchemy _Ed thought surprised. And he took the copied manuscript into his hands and examined it was a perfect copy and not a punctuation mark or capitalization was out of place.

She snatched it back with an excuse you expression she put it into her bag. "ok so I assume you two don't plan on letting me off the hook and just calling this random coincidence do you?" she looked at them hopefully and was quickly shot down by Edwards "like hell" expression.

"Yeah no who are you? Why do you need this manuscript? Why is it so dangerous for us to be near you and why in the hell do we keep running into you?" he asked she rolled her eyes holding her hands in the air.

"ok ok I'll tell you everything" she looked around her "just not here you'll fallow me to the place I'm staying though its slightly inappropriate to have two boys fallow me into my room so I guess you'll want to save your reputation and let me off the hook?" she looked at them hopefully

"um miss he's not gonna let you go I suggest you stop making him angrier by trying to get out of it" al said coyly and Ed nodded in a damn straight sort of way letting go of her final strand of hope she sighed and motioned for them to fallow. She slipped out of the front door the same way she came in and they fallowed stopping only when she needed to put her boots on. She moved quickly they had trouble keeping up. She shot a few aggravated glances back at Edward but continued.

The arrived at a ruddy looking inn that apparently she was staying at. "Ah Miss Clara how are things with your parents?" asked the senile looking man from behind the counter

"their fine but they're still treating my cousin I think I'm going to join them in treating him tomorrow so I'll fix the pipes tonight and I'll find you in the morning for payment" she said and smiled "it's a big job so I found two other alchemist to help me with it so don't worry"

"Ok well here are the blue prints you needed and well have a good night" the old man said she waved as he left and ascended the flight of stairs nearby they fallowed. After getting into the room and locking the door behind them she turned to them and sighed.

"I'll start with this I know you're in the military and if you so much as cough in the direction of arresting me or recruiting or asking what I've learned" she paused "I'll kill you" Ed shivered at the malice she hadn't seemed like this when they first met. "I don't want to sound like some cut throat bitch here but I have my reasons for doing what I need to and I won't stand for some power tripping pipsqueak standing in my way" Ed flinched and restrained the urge to shout.

"You're only about an inch taller than me" he growled and she smirked.

"An inch is an inch" her smirk was dark and her eyes looked frighten rather than aggressive like her body language _she's acting?_ He thought "damn it I can't do this serious thing" she said falling into a more natural body posture and Ed relaxed a bit more. "Ok fine you win now ask your questions so you can leave."

"Who are you and I want more than your name" Edward said folding his arms and sat down in a sinfully comfortable chair his stomach growled he ignored it she didn't. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge pulling out some cheese and crackers along with a bottle of grape juice.

"More than my name? Hmmm well I'm Clara Zettek I have the ability to control the elements due to a bizarre gift I've had sense birth called elemental alchemy. My parents are dead. I'm the equivalent of a drifter. And well I don't generally trust anyone in the military so you'll excuse me if I don't uncover to you my life story" she said as she set the food in front of Ed "I'd offer some to your friend here but we both know he won eat" she said perception was a very strong blessing she had when it came to theses sort of things. They looked surprised she smirked. "Next question?"

"What are you doing here? And why is it dangerous for us to be near you?" Ed asked not losing his confidence as he took a bite of the food she'd set out.

"I'm looking for the philosophers stone" Ed's calm façade shattered _she's looking for it too?!_ "And generally a search like that is dangerous when you don't have the military to watch your back" she said "I've been having some trouble with everything from vain alchemist to underground organizations hunting me" she said and he just stared.

"Is that all?" she said he just gaped "what are you two here for anyway?" she asked pouring herself some juice.

"The same thing, the philosopher's stone" he said.


End file.
